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Japan is planning to replace trucks with self-driving pods, reaffirming its leadership in technological innovation. The Asian country is developing a new highway designed exclusively for these futuristic vehicles.!
To address the growing shortage of truck drivers, the Japanese government has unveiled a unique new project based on a new highway for autonomous pods carrying goods. The idea for replacing trucks was outlined a few months ago and has been fleshed out a bit more, making it a little clearer how it could work.
Japan to suffer 34% capacity shortfall
In addition to the potential to revolutionize local logistics by replacing trucks, the solution is considered efficient for solving problems of congestion and pollution. Currently, trucks are the backbone of freight transportation in cities, but they face challenges such as environmental impact and a lack of drivers.
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O Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Japan's Transport Industry (MLIT) predicts that by 2030, the country will experience a 34% capacity deficit in the transportation sector, due to driver retirements and a lack of new professionals.
On the new highway for autonomous capsules, vehicles will be able to circulate day and night without interfering with conventional traffic, using extra lanes on the shoulders or medians and even in underground structures.
Depots for replacing trucks along the route will also be automated, with systems that load and unload goods autonomously, including autopilot forklifts and drones.
Strategic points along the new highway for autonomous pods can be used by vehicles to adjust their arrival times, allowing for greater precision in the flow and distribution of goods, without the need for large warehouses. A glass dome will protect the lanes, preventing external interference and accidents, in addition to ensuring the safety of the goods.
New highway for autonomous capsules will be 500 km long
The autonomous capsules will be designed to carry pallets measuring 1,1 m wide and 1,8 m high, with the capacity to also transport smaller and irregularly shaped packages. If successful, the project has the potential to reduce dependence on human labor by up to 17 people per day.
The first step towards replacing the trucks will be the construction of a 500km test stretch between Tokyo and Osaka, with operations scheduled to begin in 2027 and full implementation in the 2030s. The Japanese government has already begun searching for private companies interested in contributing to the development of the infrastructure needed for the autonomous capsules.
Transport will be carried out using AGVs (automatically guided vehicles) carrying standardized pallets of goods. The AGVs will transport cargo pallets with standard dimensions of 110 cm x 110 cm, with the total height of the load and pallet limited to 180 cm. These vehicles, normally used in warehouses and factories, will be adapted for use on roads.
New highway for autonomous capsules will operate at 30 km/h
An experiment to replace the trucks is to be carried out by 2027 on a section of the Shin Tomei Highway between Hadano (Kanagawa) and Gotemba (Shizuoka), including tests to assess the stability of the transport, the impact on the roads, the adaptation for automatic loading and unloading, and the deficiency of tracking systems with RFID tags and barcodes.
The operating speed of the new highway for autonomous capsules will be around 30 km/h, but it can be adjusted as the tests progress.
The government expects the initial project between Tokyo and Osaka to be completed by the mid-2030s. Building tunnels would cost around $23 billion, leading to the possibility of using conveyor belts or autonomous carts on the roads in the near term.
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